Fundamental research on tactile perception for development of a tactile feel display

Abstract

In our daily life we use a large number of electronic devices incorporating a touch interface, e.g., mobile phones and the iPod Touch. This function is, however, in its infancy, permitting only input, with output being limited only to vibration to confirm input. Meanwhile, if we could create touch sensations with "qualitative information," such as the delicate sensation of materials or the feeling of touching an object, it would bring not only an improvement in the quality of touch sensations, but would also bring the possibility of developing new human interfaces such as more realistic VR systems and user-friendly universal communication tools for people with disability. Such human interfaces would be most effective if they did not require the development of special vibratory devices.On this basis, the authors have developed, based on knowledge gained from previous research, a prototype of a unique vibratory device employing a micro- motor, and employed it in evaluation experiment in which various differing tactile sensations are presented to study subjects. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.